Cotton harvester



June 24, 1930.

B. HESTAND COTTON HARVESTER' INVENTOR Zi fies-(palm,

ATTORNEYS I WITNESS June 24, 193 I B. H'ESTAND' 1,767 91 COTTON HARVESTER Filed June .1 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 'lNVENTQR w B.Jlesta1nd 4 She ets-lShe et 4 INVENTOR Badfiord fie si'alzd m'roausvs f Patented June 24, 1930 FZBED'FORD HESTAND, or VERDEN,

orricn OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO BER LACKEY, 0F CHICKASHA, OKLAHOMA COTTON HARVES'I'ER Application filed .Tune 1, 1927. 2 Serial No. 195,733.

:This invention relates to improvements in cotton harvesters and has for a primary object to provide a machine of this character provided with an improved arrangement whereby the bolls and open cotton may be stripped from the stalks and the cotton which is left, together with the loose cotton is driven off and carried up by strongcurrents of air furnished by rotating .elements of the machine.

Another object is the provision of improved means for adjustably supporting the picker members according to the elevation of the row of plants to be operated upon.

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modification without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the claimed invention; there being shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes a preferred and practical form, in which:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a cotton harvester constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with parts omitted,

Fig.3 isa longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a detail planview partly in section of thecontrolling means for the picker,

, Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. l,

' Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section line 77 of Fig. 1, and v Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

The mechanismof this invention desirably includes two traction wheels 1, 1 which are the only traction wheels in the organization. These traction wheels are free to rotate upon the axle 2 of the machine, in so far as such rotation will be permitted by means of the well known clutch devices, notshown,

taken on the which-are provided, as is well understood,

for the purpose of permitting differential motion between the traction wheels, as in rounding corners or permittlng the wheels freely'to rotate upon the shaft or axle 1n backing, the clutching devices effecting a fixed relation between the wheels and the axle when the machine is being pulled forwardly in a straight line. It is deemed 11I1I18CSSMT .to furnish a detalled description or illustration of these clutching tion, construction and purpose is well understood by those skilled in the art.

The frame which supports the axle 2 and devices, as their functhe other parts of the mechanism, is preferamembers 11 at a point in advance of the axle 2 and a s1m1lar bar 14 connects the members 12 near the rear end of the machine, as is shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

Another cross bar 15 connects the longitudinal bars 12 at a point slightly in advance of the axle 2 and this bar 15 supports bearings 16 in which are j ournaled the rear ends of two longitudinally extending shafts 17 and 18, the front ends of which are journaled in bearings 19 located near the front end of the machine and supported by steel finger plates 30 and 40 presently to be described.

These shafts 17 and 18 have fixed thereto a plurality of longitudinally extending vanes or blades 20, any desired number of which may be employed, four being shown arranged on each shaft or rod. These blade carrying shafts extend longitudinally of the machine from a point adjacent the axle to a point at the rear of the finger plates 30 and 10 which are located at opposite sides of the front of the machine and supported by Lip-turned ends 11 at the frame members 11.

Fixed to the rear ends of the shafts 17 and 18 are two cog wheels 21 which are designed to mesh with crown gears 22 carried by a new or slides which with their fenders 59 and 60 are designed to pass under and raise all the limbs of a cotton plant containing open or boll cotton to a position suitable for harvesting. The cotton bolls so arranged. come in contact with the housing members 55 and 56 with the bladed or vaned shafts 17 and 18, said housings being held in adjusted position by means of bolts passed through slots 30 and 4 formed in the finger plates 30 and 40.

This connection of the housings 55-and 56 with the finger plates provides for the adjustment of these housings toward and away from each other to suit any size cotton plants in connection with which the machine is to be used.

It will be obvious that the bladed or Vancd shafts 17 and 18 will rotate in opposite directions and are intended to run at a high speed so that a strong current of air is directed upwardly thereby between the housings 55 and 56 which air lifts the loose cotton to a position suitable to come in contact with the vanes of the shafts 17 and 18. It will j thus be seen that all open and unopen bolls of cotton are stripped by fingers 30 and 40, the housing members 55 and 56 and the blades of shafts 17 and 18 from the stalks and deposited on the conveyors 52 and 53 over which the cotton travels to a suitable place of deposit.

The housing members 55 and 56 in connection with the bladed shafts 17 and 18 operate in a manner similar to the human hand in gathering the cotton bolls from the stalks and the rapid rotation of the shafts 17 and 18 produces strong currents of air which direct the loose cotton onto the conveyors.

lVhile the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and particularly described, it is not desired to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown, as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. In a harvesting machine, a wheeled sup porting structure, plant product gathering means carried by said structure, and means for adjustably supporting said gathering means according to the elevation of the rows of plants to be operated upon,said adjusting means comprising an inverted U-shaped yoke mounted at its ends on said supporting structurc, a tongue mounted on said structure, and cooperating means carried by said tongue and yoke adjustable to raise and lower said gathering means.

2. In a harvesting machine, a wheeled sup porting structure, plant product gathering means carried by said structure, and means for adjustably supporting said gathering means comprising an inverted U-shapecl yoke pivoted at its ends to said structure and extending upwardly therefrom, a tongue mounted on said structure and extending through said yoke, a ratchet pivoted on said tongue, teeth formed on said yoke with which said ratchet is designed to engage, and means positioned adjacent the driver for releasing said ratchet from said teeth.

3. In a harvesting machine, a wheeled supporting structure, plant product gathering means carried by said structure, and means for adjustably supporting said gathering means comprising an inverted U-shaped yoke pivoted at its ends to said structure and extending upwardly therefrom, a tongue mounted on said structure and through said yoke, a ratchet pivoted on said tongue, teeth formed on said yoke with which said ratchet is designed to engage, and means positioned adjacent the driver for releasing said ratchet from said teeth, rack teeth carried by said yoke, a cog wheel meshing with said teeth and means connected with said cog wheel and positioned adjacent the drivers seat whereby the wheel may be turned to raise and lower the gathering mechanism.

4. In a harvesting machine, a wheeled supporting structure, plant product gathering means carried by said structure, a tongue pivotally mounted on said structure and extending forwardly from said gathering means,

an inverted U-shaped yoke pivotally connected at its ends to said structure and through which said tongue extends, cooperating means on said tongue and yoke for locking them in for releasing said locking means, and co-operating means carried by the tongue and yoke for raising and lowering the gathering means.

BEDFORD HESTAND.

extending :11

relative adjusted position, means 1 llll 

